“I believe it is fully possible for us to tackle climate change.”
Markku Kulmala
about aspects such as the volume of carbon that forests of different ages absorb in different parts of the world. We also need to know where wood-based products end up: are they long-lived, or will they soon be burned, re- turning their carbon dioxide to the atmosphere? “We must enhance our understanding of the entire chain. In terms of climate change, the key question is how quickly carbon returns to the atmosphere. If we want to curb climate change, we must increase sinks and reduce “It can mean lengthening felling cycles by a few years. Or it can mean using wood for products that are as long- lived as possible, and for products that replace plastic or other fossil-based products.” From a global perspective, it is absolutely vital to reduce forest fires. emissions at the same time,” Kulmala says. Small things can help increase carbon sinks. DATA FOR WIDER USE It is a comfort to hear the researcher say he is definitely more optimistic than pessimistic about the future. “I believe it is fully possible for us to tackle climate change,” he says. Above all, he believes we need cooperation. No one can solve climate change on their own; a diverse, holistic ap- proach is required. As an example, he mentions the wider utilisation of measurements from the SMEAR stations. The data are al- ready used to answer many questions related to the envi- ronment, forestry and climate change. But the enormous volume of data offers opportunities for much more. “Our large data bank could benefit companies. Data could be used to find answers to many questions in the forest industry, for example. The quality of data is such that they can also be used to generate new innova- tions.” •
THE CLIMATE IMPACT OF FORESTS Thanks to the Hyytiälä station, Finnish forests are the world’s best measured. “We examine natural processes as extensively as possi- ble so that we can answer questions like climate change. Without these measurements, we would not possess all the knowledge we do about carbon sinks – for example, that a coniferous forest in southern Finland, including its soil, absorbs 300 grams of carbon per square metre annually,” Kulmala explains. In many ways, forests and the soil are significant carbon sinks, removing carbon dioxide from the air. Like the soil, trees absorb carbon as they grow, but they also perform many other tasks. Photosynthesis generates hydrocarbons, and if you wan- der in the forest on a sunny day in the early summer, you can actually smell these hydrocarbons, known as terpenes. Terpenes react with atmospheric ozone and UV radiation, forming nanoparticles that contribute to the mitigation of climate change. In other words, the forest is a significant balancing factor. Its impact on the climate is 30–50 per cent greater than it would be as a carbon sink alone. “Carbon sinks such as forest, forest growth and forestry land are essential in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Whenever there is photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is sequestered from the atmosphere, and it is im- portant to ensure that it stays away.” No other place in the world has a time series as long as the Hyytiälä station. It provides unique information about the feedback loop, which further enhances the ability of forests to sequester carbon. ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE CHAIN How big are the carbon sink and carbon storage of the soil and trees? Kulmala says we still need more information
Markku Kulmala Academician, Academy Professor, Professor of Aerosol and Environmental Physics at the University of Helsinki, and Director of the Atmosphere and Climate Competence Center (ACCC). For many years he was the world’s most cited geophysicist.
58
Powered by FlippingBook